Tag Archives: SolarPanels

ICYMI: Printing in 4D, solar panel breakthrough and more

Posted on by
Today on In Case You Missed It: Scientists at Harvard have figured out how to print incredibly small, shape-shifting creations out of hydrogel that can then morph from 3D to 4D depending on water or heat is applied to them. Scientists figured out h...

Fraunhofer black silicon could catch more energy from infrared light, go green with sulfur

Posted on by

Fraunhofer black silicon could catch more energy from infrared light, go green with sulfur

Generating solar power from the infrared spectrum, or even nearby frequencies, has proven difficult in spite of a quarter of the Sun's energy passing through those wavelengths. The Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications may have jumped that hurdle to efficiency through sulfur -- one of the very materials that solar energy often helps eliminate. By irradiating ordinary silicon through femtosecond-level laser pulses within a sulfuric atmosphere, the technique melds sulfur with silicon and makes it easier for infrared light electrons to build into the frenzy needed for conducting electricity. The black-tinted silicon that results from the process is still in the early stages and needs improvements to automation and refinement to become a real product, but there's every intention of making that happen: Fraunhofer plans a spinoff to market finished laser systems for solar cell builders who want their own black silicon. If all goes well, the darker shade of solar panels could lead to a brighter future for clean energy.

Filed under: ,

Fraunhofer black silicon could catch more energy from infrared light, go green with sulfur originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 05:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmag  |  sourceFraunhofer  | Email this | Comments

Sharp unveils semi-transparent solar panels, lets you see the sun while reaping its benefits

Posted on by

Sharp unveils semi-transparent solar panels, lets you see the sun while reaping its benefits

Sharp has announced an unusual photovoltaic panel for the Japanese market that collects energy from the sun while still allowing the light to shine on through. Though it's rated at a lowly 6.8 percent / 98 watt max efficiency, the glass-like properties make it useful as a construction material (as shown in the balcony railing above), with the semi-transparent nature giving occupants privacy, to boot. The energy-producing cells are embedded in a laminated glass structure and an air slot provides a thermal barrier, allowing the panels to also be used as "windows, curtain wall and eaves" according to Sharp's PR. Though the system won't win any potency prizes, it has garnered a design award in Japan, so it won't blight any landscapes. There's no mention of pricing or western availability so far, but you can hit the source for all the technical details.

Filed under:

Sharp unveils semi-transparent solar panels, lets you see the sun while reaping its benefits originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 05:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  sourceSharp Japan (translated)  | Email this | Comments

IBM alliance sets efficiency record for solar power cells using common materials

Posted on by

IBM alliance sets efficiency record for solar power cells using common materials

There have been more than a few solar power efficiency records set in the past few months, let alone years. What makes IBM, DelSolar, Solar Frontier and Tokyo Ohka Kogyo think they can just waltz in and claim a record of their own? By using more commonplace elements in the periodic table, that's how. The partnership's new photovoltaic cell based on copper, zinc and tin (CZTS for short) can convert light rays to electric power with a 11.1 percent efficiency rate -- still nothing to upset traditional silicon power, but a large 10 percent more efficient than anything else in the class. In its early form, CZTS can already be manufactured through ink printing and could be produced in quantities equivalent to about 500 gigawatts of power per year, or five times more than some of the next-closest alternatives. The group wants to improve CZTS' efficiency over the course of the next several years, ideally reaching the point where it's useful as a truly cheap, ubiquitous source of power. We're looking forward to the day when there's a little slice of solar energy in just about everything, hopefully including a few more hybrid cars and private aircraft.

Filed under:

IBM alliance sets efficiency record for solar power cells using common materials originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 15:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MIT Technology Review  |  sourceIBM Research  | Email this | Comments

Researchers make unsuitable parts work as solar cells, could lead to cheaper panels

Posted on by

Researchers make unsuitable parts work as solar cells, could lead to cheaper panels

Harnessing the power of the sun is a tricky business, but even the past few weeks have seen some interesting developments in the field. In this latest installment, researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California have figured out a way of making solar cells from any semiconductor, potentially reducing the cost of their production. You see, efficient solar cells require semiconductors to be chemically modified for the current they produce to flow in one direction. The process uses expensive materials and only works with a few types of semiconductors, but the team's looking at using ones which aren't normally suitable -- the magic is to apply an electrical field to them. This field requires energy, but what's consumed is said to be a tiny fraction of what the cell's capable of producing when active, and it means chemical modification isn't needed.

The concept of using a field to standardize the flow of juice isn't a new one, but the team's work on the geometrical structure of the cells has made it a reality, with a couple of working prototypes to satisfy the skeptics. More of these are on the way, as their focus has shifted to which semiconductors can offer the best efficiency at the lowest cost. And when the researchers have answered that question, there's nothing left to do but get cracking on commercial production. For the full scientific explanation, hit up the links below.

Filed under:

Researchers make unsuitable parts work as solar cells, could lead to cheaper panels originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Aug 2012 11:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Ars Technica, ScienceDaily  |  sourceNano Letters  | Email this | Comments

3D, light-trapping solar cells successfully fabricated by Solar3D

Posted on by

3D, lighttrapping solar cells successfully fabricated by Solar3D

Solar3D probably isn't a company you're particularly familiar with... at least not yet. The California-based manufacturer has just successfully fabricated a three dimensional solar panel that traps sun light in nano-scale wells on a silicon wafer. Perhaps most exciting, the prototype panel was built using off-the-shelf tech from Panasonic, meaning that the price of mass production shouldn't be prohibitively high. More testing is needed, but the resulting panels should be up to 50 percent more efficient than current generation 2D ones. For a few more details, check out The PR after the break.

Continue reading 3D, light-trapping solar cells successfully fabricated by Solar3D

Filed under:

3D, light-trapping solar cells successfully fabricated by Solar3D originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Alt-week 7.8.2012: Solar flares, trapping dark matter, and life-sized Lego trees

Posted on by

Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days.

Image

This week we swing by some superhero news, look at how solar panels might shape up in the future, explore a Lego forest and see how to grab dark matter just using some household gold and strands of DNA. Not only that, we discover how the sun likes to celebrate the fourth of July with its own firework display. This is alt / week

Continue reading Alt-week 7.8.2012: Solar flares, trapping dark matter, and life-sized Lego trees

Alt-week 7.8.2012: Solar flares, trapping dark matter, and life-sized Lego trees originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jul 2012 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceTechnabob, Space, PhysOrg, Wired, Wired (2), Lego Festival  | Email this | Comments

Logitech unveils its Solar Keyboard Folio for the new iPad and iPad 2, we go hands-on

Posted on by

Logitech unveils its Solar Keyboard Folio for the new iPad and iPad 2, we go hands-on

There are all sorts of ways to go green these days, from driving an EV to installing super efficient light bulbs, and now Logitech's given us an environmentally friendly way to type tactilely on a tablet. It's a new iPad and iPad 2-friendly case called the Solar Keyboard Folio, which packs a Bluetooth keyboard powered by ambient light using the same solar cell tech found on the firm's computer keyboards. Once topped up with photons, Logitech claims its battery will keep you typing for over 1,000 hours even in complete darkness. The case is crafted of black, soft-touch, faux leather embossed with a small Logitech logo and has perforations for the iPad's speakers, plus a portal for the tablet's camera.

Gallery: Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio for iPad

Its keyboard is made of gray plastic, and pecking at the grid is a similar experience to using the one found on Logitech's other recently released iPad typing peripheral, the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover. Buttons are short-throw and provide satisfying clicky feedback, but the space bar and shift keys have a hollow feel when pressed. Perhaps the Folio's most intriguing design feature is the feet on the corners of the cradle in which the iPad is placed. Those little nubs allow for two viewing angles -- your slate can be seated in a more upright position behind the keyboard for typing, or in the notches outside the two shift keys for a more obtuse viewing angle when the keyboard isn't needed. What's this bit of green gear cost? It goes on sale in the US and Europe this month with an MSRP of $130.

Continue reading Logitech unveils its Solar Keyboard Folio for the new iPad and iPad 2, we go hands-on

Logitech unveils its Solar Keyboard Folio for the new iPad and iPad 2, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBlog Logitech  | Email this | Comments